Is it Destiny or Fate?
by Trick0x0Insanity
Summary: She was just another average 17 year old. That is until she found a chest belonging to her long dead father. Upon opening it, her fate is sealed. The question is: Will she accept her destiny? Read and review if you enjoyed it! Temporary Haitus.
1. Prologue

**A/N: I am revising this whole story to make it a little more…whole. I am very appreciative of Werewolf of Fire for giving me some great constructive criticism. I may end up tweaking the story hear and there. I hope you'll enjoy it even more.**

_Prologue_

"Damn! I haven't seen weather like this for years!" a man said, ducking his head down to get a better look at the sky. He was coming home from his work later than usual, driving his red '69 Chevy Nova. He worked as a carpenter, doing personal and commercial requests.

He was quietly anticipating getting home to his fourteen-year old daughter, Trixanity, to give her a special present. Today was her birthday and she was turning fifteen.

In the backseat was a paper package with an irregular shape. In it was a small wooden fox on a marble base with the word "Vulpentine" engraved in it. The wooden fox was sitting on the marble base looking out with a wise and mystical stare. At the base of its feet was a sword.

He was hoping that she would enjoy it, since he knew how much into foxes she was. His daughter had been introduced to the fox species when he had disappeared six years before.

Ever since he returned, he tried to make it up to her as much as possible. A few weeks ago, he had given her a book called _A Vixen with the Heart of Fire & Ice_. She fell in love with it immediately, constantly reading it.

Since he was a very talented carpenter and loved to carve things for Trixanity, he's been getting into carving not only foxes, but mythological creatures as well. One thing he noticed about Trixanity was whenever he brought home a new creation to her, she would start talking to it, like it was alive. He never really paid any mind to it.

Since he was coming home rather late, traffic was backed up pretty bad, as much as a quarter of a mile from the off-ramp. And since he was in Utah (notorious for some of the worst drivers in the U.S.) driving down I-15, going northbound at five o'clock in the evening, traffic was at its worst.

He was getting ready to turn on the off-ramp, his turning signal on, when a large semi in lane next to him began to hydroplane on the wet asphalt of the freeway.

The semi looked as if it had things under control when it suddenly jackknifed. The trailer hit the back of his Chevy and sent him flying across the pavement, making him miss the off-ramp, and into an old Ford pick-up. The front of his car rammed into the back of the Ford sending his car into a deadly roll.

As he was rolling, his life began to flash before his eyes. Memories and thoughts flashed through his mind as he continued to roll across the median and into southbound traffic.

_Will I get to see Trixanity and my lovely wife again? How will this end? Will Trixanity discover the chest? …Will I make it out alive?_

His last thought was soon to be answered. His car quit rolling in the middle of the southbound traffic. He was upside-down when car after car hit their brakes to avoid him and ended up swerving out of control crashing into other cars. This chain reaction caused one of the biggest…and deadliest…multi-car crashes for the records on this stretch of Utah freeway.

Several cars did hit him, sending him farther down the road. His windshield had completely shattered while he was rolling and several shards were stuck in his head, face, and arms. Desperation kicking in, he tried to unbuckle himself, but couldn't. His seatbelt was jammed.

The Dodge Challenger that was right next to his Nova was on its side. Gasoline and oil was leaking out of the vehicle, a steady stream flowing towards his car. Smoke was billowing out of the passenger side window.

Suddenly, without any warning, the Dodge's gas tank exploded, sending glass, as well as large and small pieces of metal shrapnel flying outward in all directions.

A small piece of metal shrapnel flew his way when the Dodge exploded for a second and final time. The metal piece impaled the man, but it didn't kill him immediately. He only stared in horror as blood rushed poured down onto the roof of the upside-down Nova.

After several moments, the man's eyes closed for a final time as the hands that were pulling vigorously at the seatbelt dropped into the pool of blood.

Not too far away from where the crash was, a small charred paper package lay in the grass. In the distance sirens could be heard faintly.

**At home**

A girl in her teens woke up, screaming, tears coursing down her cheeks. Almost immediately, her mother came rushing to her bedside and began to comfort her.

"Trixanity, what's wrong? Did you have another one of those nightmares of yours? I told your father to not-!!" her mother stopped abruptly, realizing that her daughter was crying.

"What's wrong?"

Trixanity looked up at her mother and flew into chest, desperate for someone's touch. "H-he's dead, Mom! DEAD!" she said, tears streaming down her face.

Realizing her daughter was on the verge of hyperventilating, she began to worry. Sure, Trixanity had nightmares ever now and then, but she never broke down like this. She was never in such a state of panic.

"Trixanity, tell me who died! Tell me this instant!" she commanded, trying to be firm, yet gentle with her.

"F-FATHER! He's dead! He died in a car crash!" Trixanity screamed before breaking down completely. She continued to sob into her mother's thin night shirt, completely saturating it.

Her mother looked down at her daughter. She knew her daughter. Normally when she had nightmares like this, they were either going to happen in the near future, or were happening. But she was never on such a larger scale of panic and fear.

"No…it…it just isn't possible," she whispered, tears beginning to run down her face. "…No…"

**The Next Week**

Trixanity and her mother were both attending her father's funeral.

Trixanity was wearing a plain black dress with black tights and black shoes. Her orange shoulder length hair was pulled back with a black bow making her hair standing out even more than it already was. Her violet eyes not once leaving her father's coffin. Her mother was wearing a black dress similar in style. She wore a black, broad rimmed, hat with a black veil hiding her tears.

Trixanity was standing solemnly next to her mother, no longer shedding tears, for she had no tears left to cry.

"Good bye, Dad. I hope you are in a happier and brighter place. I hope you will also continue to watch over Mom and me, like you always used to. I will miss you dearly, Daddy," she said, a small tear sliding down her face, the last tear she will cry for her father.

**Three Years Later**

"Trixie," her mother asked nicely from the kitchen. "Can you do me a favor and clean out the attic today?" Her mother was downstairs in the kitchen making some kind of salad.

Trixanity, who now goes by "Trixie" has barely turned seventeen and has matured so much since that fateful day. She finally got over it and moved on, knowing that her father was in a better place, rather in this war-ridden world.

Sighing heavily, she put down _A Vixen with the Heart of Fire & Ice_, the book her father gave her a few weeks before his untimely and tragic death. "Do I _have _to, Mom? You know I hate cleaning," Trixie complained at the ceiling of her room. "And you _know_ how much the attic gives me the heebie-jeebies!"

"You can do it, sweetie," her mother said bluntly, her voice being heard by unwilling ears. "Besides, you clean it today, and you won't have to do it again."

"But…Mom!" Trixie shouted down to her mother in the kitchen.

"I don't want to hear any of your 'ifs, ands, or buts' young lady! You're almost an adult now, so start acting like one!" shouted a mother on the verge of walking up to a certain seventeen-year olds room and grounding some sense into her.

"AARRGH!!"

The cry of the disgruntled teenager fell on deaf ears. Her mother ignored her and that only added to her anger.

"FINE!" Trixie yelled, getting up off her bed where she was laying before their unnecessary and pointless argument began.

Trixie stomped out of her room and into the hall where she jumped for the string to pull down the ladder to the attic. She climbed up the ladder, muttering about mother's who love to anger their daughters and whatnot.

_This had _better_ be worth it. I _don't _like wasting my time!_ Trixie thought as she stepped on to the floor of the attic.

Trixie wasn't ready for was what was lying up in the attic. She wasn't prepared for the adventure she would soon pursue. She wasn't even aware of what or where her destiny would lead her or that her fate had been seal.

**A/N: Well, I hoped this was a little better than the one before. Like I said, I am probably going to be tweaking the story here and there. I hope you enjoyed it!**

**Trixie**


	2. The Chest in the Attic

Chapter 1: The Attic

A/N: Okay! So far I've revised and reposted Ch. 1. Now I just have to do this one and maybe some of the third! Lol. Funny thing happened and I had to delete the story and then repost them all because I got really confused. Ha. Well, here's numba 2!

Disclaimer: I do not own MÄR or any of its characters. The only character I own is Trixanity Slive.

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"Grrr…I can't believe I actually let my own mother persuade me into cleaning this God forsaken place! It's just not like me," grumbled a seventeen-year old girl, her orange hair flipping around to her movements and her violet eyes hardening to the very thought of cleaning.

"Trixie, how're you doing sweetie?" the voice of her mother calling up to her.

"Oh, I'm doing _just fine_, mother. _Just hunky-dory_," Trixie grumbled. The sarcasm dripping from her words could probably melt steel.

Returning to her task, Trixie picked up box after box and placed them neatly against the attic walls, occasionally dusting here and there. Trixie began to grumble about mothers and their ability to persuade their daughters and attic's that have no right to be.

Sighing heavily, Trixie picked up one of the heavier boxes and sat it down on top of a smaller and lighter box, only to have it come toppling down on top of her body. A loud crash was created and dust flew into the air, making it almost impossible to breathe without choking.

"Trixanity, are you okay? Do you want me to come up there and help you?" Trixie's mom asked from the base of the ladder. "I do hope that you are being very careful with some of those boxes. Half of them did belong to your father."

'_Mother, if you want to help me, go right on ahead. I'll let you pick the boxes up and have them pummel you into the ground, while I dust…_' Trixie thought with malice as she tried to push boxes and other objects off of her.

Glaring at nothing in general, she blew her bangs out of her eyes. "I'm perfectly okay, mother! I just had a little…disagreement with one of the boxes. No need to fret. And no, I don't need you to help me," Trixie said, pulling herself out from under everything. "I'm perfectly capable of doing it myself."

When she was clear of the boxes, she righted the box that had fallen on her and began to put the object that had fallen out of it back in with care, knowing that this box and its contents had belonged to her father.

Trixie grabbed that last of the things that fell out of the box and paused for a moment, looking at the object in her hand. "Huh?" Trixie questioned as she turned the little thing around in her hands. "What is this…?"

After several minutes of scrutinizing the object, she finally came to the conclusion that it was a chest of some sort, a rather small chest.

"Wow…this…this is absolutely beautiful!" whispered Trixie as she ran her hands over the chest's surface. "This is most definitely one of my dad's finest pieces that he's probably ever done. I mean, these carvings are amazing."

The chest was a rather small one made entirely out of cedar, giving it a faint, yet beautiful smell. The carvings were that of creatures she'd only seen in fairytale books. The whole chest was covered in vine like carvings with a faerie here and there, hiding in the midst. But what really caught Trixie's attention were the three creatures on the front of the chest, where a lock was supposed to be.

On the lower half of the left side of the chest was a Phoenix; its beak open in a silent screech with its wings open as if to fend off an opposing enemy. On the right was a dragon, crouched in a defensive position, its face scrunched up in a snarling growl, like it was guarding something very important. And in the middle, above both mystical creatures, was a fox-like creature bearing nine tails with a sword held in its mouth. This carving rested just above the keyhole…if there was one, that is.

Trixie shook her head, as if she were seeing something and took a closer look at the trunk. Sure enough, there was a keyhole, but it was just another carving.

'_Great. Just absofreakinglutely great. There's no keyhole; just another damn carving! Looks like my dad not only made it to keep something secret and safe, but it looks like he's turned it into a freaking puzzle._' Trixie though, heaving out a loud sigh.

Trixie then began to look for some sort of locking mechanism; something that will unlock the damn chest. She spent about half an hour looking for the hidden device.

"Arrgh! Why couldn't my dad have been a normal person and just buy a chest with a keyhole? But, noooo. I had to have a dad who was clever, intelligent, and talented." Trixie grumbled, shaking the chest to hear several things move about inside.

Setting the chest down on the floor next to her, she sighed again and stared at it. '_Okay, Trix, take a deep breath and then start again. What did Dad normally put into his creations besides his love?_' Trixie pondered, continuing to look at the small cedar chest. '_I know he always put his initials on the bottom of everything, but what did you put to in this particular piece?_'

Trixie leaned closer in hopes of finding the mysterious mechanism. She let her gaze float across the top of the chest when she suddenly stopped at the fox-like creature. She finally found what she was looking for.

On the fox-like creature was one small detail that Trixie had missed. Under the sword was a small circle, slightly protruding from the surface of the chest. It bore but one word. That word was MÄR.

Trixie smirked at her success and pushed the small circle in, hearing several small gears moving. When she heard a "click", she picked up the chest and was about to open it but she stopped, once again to look at the chest. She noticed that the three creatures were in different positions.

The Phoenix no longer held its wings open, but had them tucked into its sides, with a gentle look of kindness in its wooden eyes. The dragon was no longer in its defensive position, but in an elegant and intelligent way, as if it gazed upon Trixie with a reverent stare. And the fox creature no longer held the sword in its jaws, but had it laying at its feet as if to say "Touché. You win."

Trixie smiled at the chest and a small giggled escaped from her lips. Shaking her head, she lifted the chest to her face and with gentle fingers, opened the chest.

Her excitement suddenly disappeared and was replaced with a bemused and shocked look.

"What the hell…what in the name of all things that are natural are these little things?!"

**A/N: Well, I'm hoping you guys are enjoying this. Please review and let me know what you think! I like to know what people think of my story.**


	3. A Letter among ARMS

**A/N: Hello, hello! I'm sorry I haven't updated anything for sooo long. My computer crashed and with it my stories. So I have been retyping them one at a time (when I have the time). I want to thank these people for reviewing:**

_**xChibiTenshix**_

_**FadingAway**_

_**Tariss**_

_**Kyatsu-chan**_

_**Zaios**_

_**Christi R.**_

_**fanXforever**_

_**Mimi**_

_**Siira**_

**Thank you for your comments and support! I enjoyed them very much. If you happen to find any spelling errors, feel free to let me know so that I can fix them. I am a grammar freak and I try my hardest to keep from misspelling words and other stuff. I would really appreciate it. Now, enough with my rambling, on with the show (or in this case, story)!**

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Disclaimer: I do not own MÄR. If I did, I wouldn't be writing fanfics about it. I only own Trixie and any other characters that may so happen to appear. If you want to use Trixie, ask me and I may let you.

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Chapter 2: A Letter among ARMS

"What the freak are these funky little things?" Trixie asked, confused to the highest degree. "Are these…pieces of…jewelry?"

Scattered haphazardly all over the bottom of the trunk were different sized objects that ranged from ring-like pieces of jewelry to necklaces with talismans or amulets dangling from them

She picked up one of many objects and scrutinized it. The object she held in her hand was shaped like a ring.

Except it wasn't a ring she had seen many people wearing around in public. She had seen her father wearing objects similar on his hands before he had died.

The ring bore a double-door gate **(a/n: think back to medieval castle gates)** with no locks, bars, or chains. Only two pillars on either side of the gate and a vixen **(a/n: a female fox, for those who didn't know) **sitting in front of the left door with a sword at the bottom of her feet. The vixen looked to be staring into your soul with her guardian like eyes.

"Wow," Trixie said, after carefully going over the ring with analytic eyes. "It looks like this…thing…can be activated or something."

Looking into the small trunk again, she saw the corner of what looked to be like a small manila envelope. Carefully pulling it out of the mess of "jewelry", Trixie saw that the envelope wasn't sealed. Flipping it over in her hands, she rapidly sucked in a small breath.

On the front of the envelope read the name "Fox". Only one person in the world ever called her that. Her dad.

Flipping it back over, Trixie began pulling the flap up **(a/n: the flap thing you can tuck in an envelope…)**. Stopping herself from taking out the contents momentarily, she asked a rhetorical question. "Why would my nickname be on an envelope, and in my dad's chest to boot?"

Trixie just shrugged and pulled the contents out. A letter, several pages long, addressed to her was what she found. It was folded in thirds and had her dad's slightly slanted, very neat cursive written on it.

With hands shaking, Trixie sat down on the attic floor, her back against the chest. Unfolding the letter, she began to read the letter to herself.

_Dearest Trixanity,_

_If you are reading this, you have found my chest in which all the ÄRMS (yes, ÄRMS, not little knick-knacks or pieces of jewelry) I have collected are store. Also, I am not longer with you to guide you through life._

_The ÄRMS in the chest are not of this world or dimension for that matter. These are from a beautiful place called Mär Heaven. I collected these along with the help of several friends I made. _

_If you have found the ÄRM with a fox, a vixen to be precise, then you have found the one-of-a-kind 'Vixen Gatekeeper'. This particular ÄRM is what is known as a dimension ÄRM. _

_There are different types of ÄRMS. There are weapon ÄRMS, Guardian ÄRMS, Dimension ÄRMS, Holy ÄRMS, Nature ÄRMS, Darkness ÄRMS, and ÄRMS that aren't classified._

_Here is a description of what they can do:_

_**Weapon ÄRMS**_

_Weapons with powers (i.e. swords, daggers, whips, etc.)_

_**Guardian ÄRMS**_

_Take form of an animal or creature_

_Protects the invoker_

_Some may talk_

_**Dimension ÄRMS**_

_Instant teleportation_

_A blast of power within a confined space_

_Communication with distant parties/groups_

_**Holy ÄRMS**_

_Able to heal wounds (not mortal wounds)_

_Able to break curses_

_**Nature ÄRMS**_

_Able to create fire_

_Produces snowfall_

_Causes flesh to solidify_

_**Darkness ÄRMS**_

_Immobilization_

_Transforms another's appearance_

_Causes illness_

_Inflicts damage upon the invoker_

_All ÄRMS have one thing in common: they can be activated, or the proper term, invoked. To invoke an ÄRM, you must be either wearing it or holding it. You can probably figure out how to invoke an ÄRM by yourself, since you're so smart and wily, so I'll just leave that up to you._

_But the 'Vixen Gatekeeper' is a special ÄRM that will take you to Mär Heaven. I want to point one thing out before you get any ideas. When you go to Mär Heaven (knowing you, you'll be there in a flash),I want you to be careful. I don't want you doing anything impulsive. But I know you'll completely ignore me, so I'm just going to tell you to be careful and watch yourself._

_I'm giving you a warning about Mär Heaven in advanced, so you won't face the same fate as Boss, one of the friends I talked about. Take heed of this warning, Fox, for it might just save your life. _

_In Mär Heaven, there is a group called the Chess Pieces. They are an evil group of people that wreck havoc whenever they want. They are led by a man by the name of Phantom. _

_Six years ago when you and your mother thought I had either disappeared, I was actually summoned. Summoned to Mär Heaven, that is. I had been summoned to Mär Heaven by Phantom. He tried to recruit me into the Chess Pieces, but of course, I refused. I was a guest turned refugee that is until Boss found me. _

_Him, Gaira, Alan, and the Cross Guard (a group founded by Boss that fights against the Chess) found me and recruited me into the Cross Guard. With them, I trained and was taught how to use magical power and my sixth sense (similar to how you know when someone's going to call or knock on the door), and fought with the Cross Guard against the Chess Pieces in a 'game' called the War Games._

_Unfortunately, that was where Phantom and Boss fought against each other and dealt each other a mortal wound. Boss died there on the battle field along with Phantom, except there was one catch: Phantom can't die._

_I am telling you this, so you can be prepared for the next War Games. Now that I explained who the Chess are, I will now tell you one final thing. I want you to find Alan. I will not say why, for I left him a note telling him about you. _

_I must go now, my dear. Make as many friends as possible. Help the Cross Guard and any other group that may have formed to fight against the Chess in the next War Games. Be careful and make me proud, my fox._

_Your dead but loving father,_

_Dimitrius _

When Trixie had finished reading the letter, she looked over it again and noticed small tear stains on the papers.

Lifting her hand, she felt her cheek and realized the tear stains on the paper were caused by her. She never noticed that tears had fallen from her eyes while she was reading.

Trixie tilted her head back and stared at the ceiling, a small smile appearing on her face. "Thank you…dad," she said, closing her eyes while gripping the letter to her chest.

Trixie sat where she was for a few more minutes before she got up and wiped away her tears. Setting the letter down on the ÄRMS, she grabbed the sheet and threw it over the chest, concealing it once more.

As fast as she could, Trixie ran for the ladder. Once down, she bolted to her room where she grabbed her old canvas backpack. She stuffed in some clothes, her favorite book, a sketch book and pencil before she exited her room and headed for the ladder leading to the attic.

As she climbed up the ladder, her mother called to her. "Trixie, are you almost done with the attic?"

Stopping for a short second, Trixie fibbed and yelled back. "Almost!" she said, continuing to climb up the ladder one last time.

Running over to the chest, she ripped the sheet off of it and grabbed all the ÄRMS that she could fit into the secret pocket of her backpack before closing the chest.

Grabbing a blank sheet out of her sketch book, she quickly wrote a note to her mom.

_Mom,_

_I have gone to another world. Don't expect me back for a while. I found dad's old chest and I'm taking his advice. I love you very much. Take care of yourself while I'm gone._

_Your only daughter,_

_Trixanity_

Strategically placing the note on top of the chest where her mom could find it, Trixie grabbed the Vixen Gatekeeper and slipped it onto her index finger.

Kissing it for good luck, she held out her hand and said, "I invoke the Vixen Gatekeeper! Take me to Mar Heaven. Take me to my destiny!"

As soon as she said that, the ARM on her finger began to glow. Everything around her went black. All she could see was herself and a very large, and very intimidating gate standing in front of her.

Slowly the doors began to open and white light burst through, momentarily blinding her. A soft voice called to her from inside the gate.

'_Come, my child. Come and fulfill your destiny. Come and claim your fate._'

Trixie, blinking away her blindness, walked toward the gate and gently reached into it. The light felt like warm sunshine and soft silk on her hand.

After a minute or so, something pulled her into the light and through the gate. The last thing she saw was the silhouette of a fox. After that, her whole world sunk into a dark abyss.

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**A/N: I hoped you enjoyed this chapter. Remember, tell me if you find any errors. Like I said before, I'm a grammar freak. Just to give you a heads up, I don't use the Japanese terms for "Boss" or "Chess Pieces". So don't tell me I've got it wrong, when I know I don't. I ****may**** add in a spoiler or two from books 1-13. Note that the key word is ****may****. For you F.M.A. fans, look forward to a new story of mine called "Of Foxes, Phasing, Force Fields, and Friends". Until next time. Sayonara!**

**Trix**


	4. The Vexing Vixen and the Gargantuan Gate

**A/N: Dia duit! I'm back…with a vengeance! No, I'm joking. I apologize for not updating sooner, but I've been consumed by school work and you know those blasted teachers. Always willing to give out free homework…but ever so reluctant to be nice and give us a break. Well…I'm hoping that you guys are enjoying my story thus far. **

**Reminder: If you're also a Transformers fan, check out my other story **_**Maximum Overdrive: Electrifying.**_

**I would like to give my appreciation to my latest reviewers:**

_**jmaster363**_

_**lilmeika**_

_**Werewolf of Fire**_

_**ChOpStIcKsXOXO**_

**_GaaralovesMihoko_**

**Thanks all so much for your comments and GaaraloveMihoko…please don't kill me…I'm updating…**

**Disclaimer: Once again, I do not own MAR or any of the canon characters. They all belong to Nobuyuki Anzai.**

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Chapter 3: The Vexing Vixen and the Gargantuan Gate

Everywhere there was darkness. She could feel see it as it consumed her body into its motionless mass. She could smell it, taste it as it entered her body through her nose and mouth. She could hear the oblivion of it in its dead silent realm. She could see it as its dark fingers danced across her eyes.

After what seem like hours were mere minutes as her body finally touched solid ground…or what she thought was as solid. The ground was damp and it felt like she was lying in a bed of shredded paper.

Then suddenly, in a flash, a dim light appeared off in the nonentity of the black abyss her body resided in.

Carefully standing up, Trixie got to her feet. Although unsteady, she slowly began to make her journey toward the soft glow of the light in the distant dark.

As she was walking, she noticed a slight change in her surroundings. No longer was everything consumed by the dark void she first came in contact with. No, now she could make out shapes, shadows, and silhouettes.

Looking around her, she saw that she would've been standing in an open plain. Tall mountains that seemed to touch the sky stood up proud to the North as a vast range of trees, shrubs, and flowers grew and flourished south of her. And all around her, rocks of all shapes and sizes were scattered haphazardly all across the plain.

Smiling slightly to herself, she imagined what it would look like if it were in bright, vibrant colors instead of its dark, dreary blacks and grays. She closed her eyes and sighed at its imaginary beauty.

Standing still, lost in her thoughts and vast imagination, Trixie was interrupted from her visionary image by the soft padding of paws on the ground.

Opening her eyes, she looked down in front of her and blinked in utter confusion. Sitting in front of her, licking the bottom of its paws was a small fox. She couldn't make out definite details, but she could tell it was a rustic red.

Bending down to one knee, she got a slightly better view and gasped when it opened its ghostly purple eyes and stared at her. Suddenly getting back to her feet, Trixie backed up a little, not sure of how to handle the situation.

"Who are you…and…and how did you get here?"

A soft whispery chuckle surrounded her mind. She gasped in surprised and looked around for the source of it as the fox just sat there, silently snickering to itself.

Trixie stopped her frantic search for the mysterious laugh when the thought hit her. What if it was the fox that laughed at her? She glanced down and sure enough, the little fox was shaking with mirth. She glared and crossed her arms over her chest, staring the fox down.

"And what in the Hell is just so funny, you conniving creature?" She almost was about to smack herself in the head for asking a creature incapable of speech. "Great, I'm asking an animal a question. Well, that's just fine and dandy. Now all someone needs to do is stamp my forehead and sign me up for the Looney bin…"

Looking up, the fox stopped laughing and gave Trixie a toothy grin.

'_Humans are the most entertaining creatures to listen to. Especially when they rant to themselves,_' The fox said facetiously, pretending to talk to itself.

"I am _not_ ranting, you vexing vixen!"

'_Really? Could've fooled my by a long shot…_'

With that said and done, Trixie screamed in agitation and lunged at the fox, attempting to grab it. The fox merely dodged and yipped in amusement, allowing Trixie to chase her and throw a string of profanities in several different languages.

"Dannazione tu! Helvedes jer! Förbanna du! Verdammen Sie!"

The fox suddenly stopped, tripping Trixie and sending her flying head over heels into the ground. Laughing lightly, the fox turned and faced her.

'_I never would've imagined a girl like yourself to know what "Damn you!" means in four different languages…but I'm getting off the point. Earlier, you asked me who I was and how I got here, correct?_'

"Um…correct." Trixie's reply was slightly muffled by the ground still being in contact with her face. Groaning, she managed to get herself to her hands and knees. "I was hoping you were going to tell me before we started this little fracas of ours."

'_Yes…well, I am the _Vixen Gatekeeper,' the fox said in a somber tone.

Trixie blinked several times at the fox and then blinked some more. She wasn't sure if she misheard the little creature or if her mind just wasn't comprehending the situation properly.

"You…you're the _Vixen Gatekeeper_? As in…the ärm _Vixen Gatekeeper_?"

Nodding, the fox continued to explain.

'_Yes, but I'm also known as Vulpentine to the natives of MÄR Heaven. How I got here is simple. I control a small portion of the dimensional space between here and your world. Currently, we are in the limbo of your world and mine_.'

Nodding, Trixie was slightly surprised that she found the little vixen to actually make sense. Pondering this for a moment, she wondered if her father ever met the _Vixen Gatekeeper_.

"Hey…if you're the Vixen Gatekeeper…then you must know my father Di-"

'_Dimitrius Slive. Yes, I remember your father quite well, Trixanity. He had much the same reaction you did_,' Vulpentine said, her voice smooth.

Trixie gasped and stared at Vulpentine. Memories of her father flooded back to her in a rush that it took her breath away. Tears of sorrow came to her eyes as some memories were happy while others were dark and baleful.

"You met my father? What…what did he say to you? Did he say _anything_?" Trixie's voice cracked slightly as she wiped at her eyes. Vulpentine laughed and nodded.

'_Your father was…different_.'

"What did he say…do?"

'_He told me to get the hell away from him and quit using my voodoo magic on him or else he'd unleash his fists of fury on me…_'

Trixie dramatically sighed and shook her head, laughing slightly.

"Yeah…that's my dear old dad for you. Always coming up with the worst threats that even a fly could think up better ones."

Vulpentine smirked to herself and got to her feet. She began to walk toward the dim light. Looking back, she waited for Trixie.

Glancing up, she saw that Vulpentine had moved toward the light and was now staring at her. Getting up, she walked up to Vulpentine and stood next to her, staring into the light.

All of a sudden, the light flashed and there in front of both the girl and the fox stood a gate; one that looked like a much larger replica of the one on the ring she bore on her finger.

'_Trixanity Slive…this is your ticket to MAR Heaven…only you have the ability to activate it completely and use its powers to the max._'

Trixie walked up to the gate and stared at it. She blinked when she noticed something was different. Gasping slightly, she looked down at the Vixen Gatekeeper on her finger and then back up at the gate. The fox that was sitting in front of the left door of the gate with the sword at the bottom of her feet was gone. Then only thing that left evidence for Trixie was the sword.

Turning around, Trixie started to ask Vulpentine what happened to the fox sitting in front of the gate.

"Hey, Vulpentine, where's the…fox…at…"

Trixie searched everywhere behind her, but strangely, Vulpentine had mysteriously vanished into thin air without a trace of her ever being there.

Suddenly, the gate in front of her started to open and a blinding white light shone through from the other side. Whipping around, Trixie shielded her eyes and squinted to see into the light.

'_Trixanity Slive, go now, into the gate. Accept your fate and follow the path the Destiny has laid out for you. Follow your destiny into the world of MÄR Heaven!_'

An invisible force started to push her forward, into the open mouth of the gate. Trixie tried to dig her heels into the ground but nothing was giving her any resistance. She soon decided that struggling wasn't going to get her anywhere so she quit and was suddenly shoved into the blinding light.

Blinking in a daze, she floated there for a few seconds before a silhouette came into her view. She blinked as the silhouette looked much like the fox she saw when she first entered the gate from her world.

'_Trixanity…do well, my child…and accept my gift…_'

The silhouette of the fox suddenly jumped at her and began to merge with her vulnerable body. Trixie screamed in agony as the fox slowly began to combine with her. Her body felt like every atom was getting ripped out and then forcefully pushed back into her.

And just as soon as the pain started…it ended. Feeling true solid ground on her back, Trixie sighed in relief and opened her eyes just a tiny bit. She was welcomed with a bright blue sky with few clouds dotting the massive blue expanse. Smiling slightly, she let her eyes close once more, the image imprinted into her mind as she once again let herself sink into the dark depths of unconsciousness.

* * *

**A/N: Well, there it is. The fourth installment of _Is It Destiny or Fate?_ I hope you guys enjoy reading this chapter as much as I enjoyed writing it. Again, I want to thank all of you who reviewed. I really appreciated it. Well, I must depart now, so I will update later…hopefully. Beannacht leibh! Trix out!**


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